Leading with Heart and Discipline - The Chester Village Story
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An Unusual Story in Long-Term Care
- Turnover under 1%.
- A management team together for more than a decade.
- Frontline staff who stay 20, 30, even 40+ years.
In an industry defined by staffing crises and burnout, Chester Village is the exception — and CEO Cynthia Marinelli is a big part of the reason.
This is a story about leadership in long-term care: steady, human, firm, and fair.
“I love our staff. Truly. This is where I’ll retire.”
1. Cynthia’s Path into LTC —
and Into Chester Village
Cynthia became an RN in the early ’90s and, likemost student nurses, told herself:
“I’m never going to work in long-term care.”
But jobs were scarce, and she found herself in LTC anyway — rising quickly through nursing, DOC roles, retirement management, and administration.
In 2008, Chester Village had just moved into a brand-new building and was struggling with culture, trust, and leadership fallout. Cynthia applied for the Administrator role.
“By luck or fate, I ended up here — and I won’t leave. I’ll retire at Chester Village.”
She walked into a challenge — and chose to stay for 18 years.
2. Rebuilding a Fractured Culture —
One Lunch at a Time
When Cynthia arrived, the home was in flux:
New building. New staff. Old staff still grieving the old home. And a workforce upset by previous leadership.
Her very first reaction?
“I’m not coming to work and talking to myself in an office all day. That’s not how I operate.”
She sent a simple email:
“I’m having lunch in the lunchroom if anyone wants to join.”
People came.
They talked.
Walls came down.
“We decided early: we’re going to do this as a team.”
This was the cultural reset Chester Village needed.
3. Leadership Philosophy:
Firm but Fair
Every leader at Chester Village uses the same phrase to describe Cynthia:
“Firm but fair — that’s how I lead.”
She holds people accountable, but she supports them fiercely.
She doesn’t react emotionally or impulsively.
“Not everything needs an answer right now. Sit back, think, weigh the pros and cons — then decide.”
“If you take things personally, you’ll never work through them.”
Cynthia is also remarkably humble:
”You can’t know everything. Leadership is knowing who to ask — not pretending you have all the answers.”
This blend of discipline, steadiness, and humanity is rare — and it’s what shaped the culture.
4. Promotion From Within —
and a Management Team That Stays
Chester Village’s management team is unusually stable.
Most joined between 2011–2015.
Most have never left.
“If you give, I give back. And if you do your job, I don’t need to nitpick you on silly stuff.”
She sees potential early and invests in people:
Receptionist → Office Manager → Director of Finance
- RPN → BSO Lead
- RPN → IPAC Lead
- PSW → Staff Educator for the entire home
”I always look around the room and ask: who here can grow into this role?”
The result? A leadership team that feels ownership — and stays.
5. The Result: One of Ontario’s Most Stable LTC Workforces
Cynthia’s approach has created one of the most stable workforces in the province.
Turnover
“Frontline turnover here is under 1%. People don’t leave — unless they retire.”
Loyalty
A PSW once left for $2/hr more at another home. She returned after a few months.
“The grass isn’t greener anywhere else.”
Culture
The emotional impact of long retention is profound.
“Retention gives you history. And you can’t fake history.”
Staff know one another’s families, struggles, and joys.
Tenure
Many staff have been at Chester for 20–40 years.
They supported Cynthia when she lost her husband during the pandemic.
“People know my story and I know theirs. That’s what makes a workplace a home.”
6. Handling Conflict, Union Dynamics, and Hard Moments
Many administrators feel overwhelmed by union pressure.
Cynthia does not.
“Somebody has to be the bigger person — and in LTC, it has to be leadership.”
Her approach is calm, consistent, and professional:
- Don’t take it personally
- Reset relationships when needed
- Treat everyone by the book
- Avoid “getting stuck in the weeds”
- Never escalate emotionally
“You can't lead if you're constantly offended.”
7. The Chester Difference: A Workplace That Feels Like Family
Cynthia’s leadership created a workplace
where:
- Staff feel known, not just scheduled
- Managers feel trusted, not micromanaged
- People grow into bigger roles
- Employees stay for life
”When you’ve worked together this long, you can ask about someone’s daughter in university because you remember when they were pregnant. That’s what retention gives you.”
This culture didn’t happen in a year — it happened one conversation, one lunch, one fair decision at a time.
8. A Small but Supporting Role: SSC at Chester Village
SSC isn’t the hero of this story — but it supports the heroes.
Having accurate, accessible workforce data helps leadership manage complexity without drowning in it.
“SSC gives us information at our fingertips. With 300 staff, you need that."
Conclusion: Leadership That Lasts
Cynthia’s story is a rare blueprint for long-term care:
- Lead with humility
- Support people
- Hold standards
- Treat everyone fairly
- Invest in relationships
- And stick with it
Chester Village shows what long-term care can look like when leadership is human, consistent, and committed.